Ajax defeats AZSV with double digit score

Ajax has won its second practice match easily. While visiting AZSV, Ajax won, 0-11. Geoffrey Castillion scored three goals in the first half. Mats Rits scored twice after the break.

Ajax clearly had a better day in Aalten than they had had in Buitenpost the day before. The 0-4 result of the match in Friesland was on the scoreboard within half an hour on Wednesday evening. It was obvious that Ajax had trained hard during the last few days during their training camp in De Lutte. The combinations were smoother and the AZSV goalie was kept busy.

Geoffrey Castillion scored three goals in the first half. The tall forward brought Ajax into a 0-1 lead after twenty minutes. He also made good on his next attempt. With a firm shot from far out, Castillion doubled the score. Seven minutes before the break, he also scored Ajax’s fifth goal. Before that, Derk Boerrigter (shot into the near corner) and Theo Janssen had also made good. Janssen’s successful penalty kick, after a foul on Sulejmani, was his first goal in an Ajax jersey. A full AZSV sport park bore witness.

Another highlight was Maarten Stekelenburg’s return. Ajax and the Dutch national team’s keeper made his re-entry between the posts after being injured for four months. He hadn’t played for Ajax since the match against Spartak Moscow on March 10, due to a broken thumb. He easily kept a clean sheet during the first half against the first class team from Aalten.The eleven Ajax players who had played the first half disappeared for the second half. Frank de Boer brought out eleven fresh players, among which newcomers Rodney Sneijder, Jody Lukoki, Mats Rits en Ricardo van Rhijn. They were to ensure that Ajax kept a clean sheet during the second half, in addition to fuelling their own score even further.

Ajax succeeded both missions, scoring again in the 64th minute. Mats Rits ticked the ball in from close by, 0-6. Number 10 had a hand in a few more goals. First, Rodney Sneijder raised the score to 0-7, after which Rits scored Ajax’s eighth. Just has he had during the match in Buitenpost, the young Belgian showed his scoring prowess. Rits’s two goals were almost lost in the shuffle as the score rapidly headed towards double digits.

Centre forward Araz Özbiliz (0-9) handed Ajax goal number nine, and Lorenzo Ebecilio, with help from the post, put 0-10 on the scoreboard. The scoreboard couldn’t manage it and after eighty minutes, showed 0-0. Two minutes later, a unique photo opportunity presented itself when Ricardo van Rhijn made it ‘0-1’ with his header. The eleventh Ajax goal was the young defender’s first in Ajax 1. AZSV’s hope to be defeated 1-11 wasn’t to be. They wouldn’t score against the national champion.

During the next few days, Ajax will continue their training camp in De Lutte. The training week will close on Saturday afternoon with a practice match against FC Emmen. After the match in the sold out Univé Stadium, Ajax leaves on Monday for a six day training camp in southern Germany, where they will play two matches against Regensburg and 1. FC Nürnburg.